Submission
Which option do you prefer?
Option Two – The alternative option – Keep Aurora Energy
Further comment
I acknowledge that the financial impact of keeping Aurora and financing the debt look dire. To use metaphor the chickens are coming home to roost. Previous councils chose to extract dividends funded by debt and deferring maintenance. However this issue is dealt with it involves increased expenditure. Which can only come from a combination of rates and customer bills. If the council sells it to private interests the council books certainly look a lot better, but then all the debt servicing and infrastructure costs will come directly from the customers. With a side - order of profit as well. Those customers are people, my neighbours, friends and family. I do not believe the commerce commission should be the only protection we have. I think it is better to retain public ownership
Just because an "asset" is underperforming in book terms doesn't mean it cannot also be performing a vital community function.
To use another metaphor the DCC has been kicking the can down the road when it comes to addressing how past councils have mismanaged Aurora. Kicking it over a fence so someone else gets to control how the mess is cleared up doesn't solve the problem for residents. We just get stuck paying a different organisation.
Supporting information
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Submitter
Submission id number: 1045746
Submitter name:
Robyn West
Organisation